Erik is a baseball fan who has been attending baseball games and snagging baseballs regularly since 2008.

24 hour Nick Markakis Shirt Trivia Contest

It so nice outside – and the blog that I’m working on will take at least an hour to complete, so I’ll save it for another day, and do a quick blog that I can edit easily from my phone. I’ve decided to give away this Nick Markakis shirt. It’s a medium, and I originally bought it for Amy to wear to one of our games during the Opening Week, but it has a small stain on the back. I’m no laundry expert, but a little tide to go should take it right out. Anyway, she’s getting a new one, and I’m giving this one away right now!

Here’s the front:
The back:
The tags:
The tiny tiny stain:
To win, it’s simple:

Get the most points. You earn points by answer questions correctly. The questions can be about anything. Baseball, Ballhawking, Nick Markakis, Me, Random Trivia, etc.

Since most people check my blogs at different times of the day, I decided that it’s only fair to leave the contest open for 24 hours. Throughout the next 24 hours, I’ll post quick questions from my phone and compile standings from time to time.

Whoever answers correctly first wins. You must comment on this blog to enter. When you answer a question, you MUST put the question number with your answer.

For example: 11. What is my favorite team? You MUST answer: 11. Pittsburgh Pirates

If you don’t put the question number, then people’s responses will get all jumbled and make it harder for me to sort through to find who’s first.

You may think you’ve answered first, but maybe not – because sometimes I have to approve new commenters’ comments. So, a new commenter may answer a question at 5:13pm, and you answer one at 5:14pm – the blog will show you as the first commenter until I approve the other person’s comment. At that time, the blog will show the comments in the correct order – with the new commenter winning the question if correct.

Sound confusing? Hopefully not. You may want to look at the comments so you don’t waste your time with duplicate answers because whoever is first obviously would get the point.

Here’s your questions:

1) What nationality is Nick Markakis?Greek and American, Paul Ellis
My user handle on this site when I comment is 333greystreet.
2) Where does the 333 come from?House number of boyhood home
3) Where does greystreet come from?Dave Matthews Band song, my favorite from 2000-2003ish, Ian Weir
4) Who is my favorite Pittsburgh Pirates player?Evan Meek, Matt Jackson
5) Where did I meet Amy, the love of my life?PNC Park! Nick Badders
6) What car part gave me trouble during the 2011 season-especially on a trip to Cleveland?Radiator, PhilliesWSChamps
7) Who do the Orioles play on Opening Day?Minnesota Twins, TeenRedsFan
8) I’ve played catch with 2 major leaguers prior to games. Name the players.Ramon Troncoso, Sean Gallagher
9) I used the Cleveland stick to snag a game home run off the bat of this former AL MVP.Justin Morneau, TeenRedsFan
10) I injured my finger by jamming it on a railing while racing Nick in 2011 for a ball hit by what former Pirate?Xavier Nady, TeenRedsFan
11) I did a book report in 8th grade on the book ‘My Favorite Summer 1956′. Who was the book about?Mickey Mantle, TeenRedsFan
12) Who was my favorite Pirates player when I was growing up?Andy Van Slyke
13) My ballhawking glove features whose signature in the pocket?Ryne Sandberg, TeenRedsFan
14) What was the first ever commemorative ball that I snagged?2006 Futures Ball
15) In my ballfields of PA series, what was the lowest rated field that I visited?West Field, TeenRedsFan
16) My Oakland Athletics ballhawking shirt is a jersey shirt of this former A’s player.Nick Swisher
17) The first time I saw Dave Matthews Band was in 2000 at this venue.Three Rivers Stadium, Matt Jackson
18) How many parking tickets have I received during my ballhawking career.2, in 2007 and 2011
19) What powerful politician lived 2 doors down from me during my freshman year of college?Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
20) Before becoming friends with Nick Pelescak, he and his brother called me by this nickname amongst themselves, since they didn’t know my name.Enemy #1
21) Who did I ballhawk regularly with during the 2008 season at PNC Park?Andrew McDonald, NYBisons
22) Nick Pelescak broke the single game PNC Park record on a weekday when I was absent for what reason?Coaching volleyball
23) Who was my guest the first time that I hit on the field at PNC Park as part of my season ticket benefits package?My dad – 2008
24) Where was my first ever job? (restaurant)Burger King, NYBisons
25) My dad once had triples of this man in his baseball card collection, so he gave me his 1962 Topps Card. I thought it was awesome. Who was that player?Stan Musial, TeenRedsFan
26) What was the first year/set that I started collecting in baseball cards?1989 Topps NY Bisons, Paul Ellis
27) What 1989 Fleer Baseball Card had ‘The F-word’ on display on the bat knob that the player was holding?Billy Ripken, NYBisons
28) Nick Markakis hit his first major league home run off of what former Pirates pitcher?Dan Miceli, TeenRedsFan
29) This long time Pittsburgh ballhawk has snagged 1000 balls over 40 years at Forbes Field, Three Rivers, and PNC Park.Harold, Ian Weir
30) I’ve attended 2 games with my brother while ballhawking. What’s his name?Jon Jabs, NY Bisons
31) This Orioles broadcaster committed suicide during the 2011 season.Mike Flanagan, TeenRedsFan
32) Who is my least favorite Pirates player?Joel Hanrahan, Mateo Fischer
33) I drove past 2 stadiums that I’ve never set foot in on other trips during the past 2 years. What are those 2 stadiums?US Cellular Field, NY Bisons (0.5 pt)Safeco Field, Seattle (2010 when seeing DMB at the Gorge)
34) Players throw balls into the stands, Dave Matthews flicks pics into the crowd at DMB concerts, but you could also snag this item thrown by Carter Beauford.Drumstick, NYBisons
35) I’ve never been crazy in love with Camden Yards like other ballhawks. Perhaps it has something to do with what happened to me 30 seconds after entering the stadium for the first time. What happened?Badly twisted my ankle, PhilliesWSChamps
36) I got into ballhawking later than most. Things could’ve been different. When I was 10, I narrowly missed catching a foul ball while sitting past third base off the bat of this San Diego Padre. Had I caught the ball maybe I’d have gotten into ballhawking earlier.Tony Gwynn
37) I’ve been buying a few jerseys throughout the offseason. I bought one last week for a colossal discount. A stitched jersey for $19.99? Couldn’t pass it up. Whose jersey did I buy?Prince Fielder
38) Every Wednesday as a kid I would rush home to read what Baseball publication?Baseball Weekly
39) I once lost my glove while attempting a ridiculously hard to reach ball in the Cleveland bullpen. What Brewers coach graciously returned my glove? (no more difficult glove tricks for me after that episode)Marcus Hanel
40) What baseball book did Amy get me for Christmas 2010?Moneyball, NYBisons
41) What team were the Pirates playing when my daughter was born?Chicago Cubs, NYBisons
42) Who led the majors in home runs the year I was born?Mike Schmidt 48, PhilliesWSChamps
43) I was at my grandma’s house in Connecticut when I received one of the worst kind of news that a kid could get on August 12th 1994. What had happened?MLB Strike, NY Bisons
44) I don’t count Spring Training balls in my career numbers but how many have I snagged?56
45) I attended one game at Citizens Bank Park. What historic achievement did the Phillies accomplish in the first inning of that game?10 Runs in the First, James
46) This Orioles player was one of my favorites when I was growing up, in fact, I had a whole binder dedicated to him filled with all of his baseball cards.Cal Ripken Jr, NYBisons
47) The first time I attended a Reds game in Cincinnati, I went with my best friend from my childhood. Who was it?Joe Filipowski, TeenRedsFan
48) Who is the Pittsburgh Ballhawk who was given unrestricted access behind the outfield wall during the 80’s and 90’s at Three Rivers Stadium and claims to have picked up and kept over 5,000 baseballs?Baseball Joe, Ian Weir
49) What National News program interviewed me live in the Spring of 2011?Fox News, NYBisons
50) In my classroom at school I have a life sized poster of what baseball player?Andrew McCutchen, Connor
51) I snagged a Carlos Santana AA home run baseball at what Minor League Park?Canal Park, James
52) When I started my blog, how many baseballs had I snagged?132, NY Bisons
53) What player predicted a 50-50 season for himself in 2012?Matt Kemp, James
54) What Pirates player face-planted when reacting to the ball off the bat of a home run surrendered by Jo-Jo Reyes during a recent Spring Training game?Alex Presley, NYBisons
55) I once scaled a building to get a ball. What was that building?Concession Stand, Connor
56) From 2008-2011 I held season tickets in what section of PNC Park?Section 327, TeenRedsFan
57) Who hit the longest home run at PNC Park and how many feet?Sammy Sosa 484′, NY Bisons
58) Zack Hample mentions my name on what page of his book ‘The Baseball?’Page 329, TeenRedsFan
59) When looking for a baseball last season in the grass surrounding the base of trees at Heritage Park, I found this object hidden and immediately turned it over to a supervisor.A cellphone
60) This Pittsburgh coach has held a grudge against me since catching me switching shirts to the visiting team. He punishes me by throwing Nick a ball every day right in front of me, while ignoring me.Heberto Andrade, TeenRedsFan
61) This item dropped out of my backpack as I raced towards an Easter Egg in Cleveland in late 2011. I got the ball – an Angels commemorative, but someone stole this item – because it was gone when I went back 30 seconds later.Cleveland Stick, TeenRedsFans

I apologize that most of my 2009 and 2010 entries are all messed up. When mlblogs converted to WordPress they all got deleted/severely truncated.

Your winner is: NYBisons!

Thanks to all those that played. We’ll have to do that again!
I hope the questions weren’t too hard. I tried to make a lot of them questions that you would only know if you were a long time blog reader, because many baseball trivia questions are so easy to look up quickly via google.

1: Nick Markakis is of Greek and German descent
2: I believe the 333 comes from the section at PNC park. In your blog, you said” Season ticket holders could enjoy seats for $5 in any section in 301-308 and 325-333 last year.”
3: Grey Street comes from a 2002 Dave Matthews Band song from The Lillywhite Sessions and from the studio album Busted Stuff.
4: Your favorite Pittsburgh Pirates player is Andrew McCutchen
5: You met Amy at PNC Park in 2010. From your blog “The greastest snag of the 2010 baseball season wasn’t any particular baseball though, it was Amy. She worked at PNC Park and would routinely watch me ballhawk from her position. After batting practice she would come up and chat with me. She told me the first time she saw me was Opening Day 2010, when I went sprinting right by her with Nick close behind. Throughout the year, I used to briefly chat with her after batting practice every game that she worked.
In late August we exchanged phone numbers and things took off from there. By September 21 we were dating, and several weeks later we got our own place together. We have been literally inseperable since.”
6: On August 12th, 2011, “I had some issues on the way to Cleveland, as my car overheated (see the gauge up at the H?) and I had to stop and get coolant at a WalMart.”
7: The Orioles play the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day; April 6th, 2012; it is their home opener. The game starts at 3:05 pm EST and all fans in entry recieve a 2012 Schedule and Car Magnet.

22. The game was on Tuesday at PNC Park when he broke the record. You missed the game because you said “I missed Monday’s and Tuesday’s games due to prior commitments”. The post was 9-23-09 on which you said this.
-Quinn from nybisonshttp://www.nybisons.mlblogs.com

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